Penguin Basements

1,000 sq.ft basement project in unfinished basement. We hired Penguin after comparing services from four basement finishing companies around the GTA. The main reasons were materials, experience and our budget. Daniel our Regional Manager presented us an excellent overview of the project and prepared a proposal that met our requirements. A legal basement was also important to us and Penguin took care of all municipal permitting and scheduling of inspections.

The job was completed on schedule in the four week timeframe promised. I was impressed with the efficiency and courteousness of all trades. Particular kudos to framers Marco and Anthony. In my opinion, their job was critical to ensure that the finished walls and spaces looked clean, straight, etc. Other trades such as electrical, plumber, painters and tiling were also very dedicated and where corrections were needed they were readily and happy to address. Of course, all of the work could not be successfully accomplished without the coordination and dedication by our Project Manager Tim Evans. He was not the original PM assigned to our job but we were extremely happy to have dealt with Tim. From day one, Tim was very responsible, professional and a straight shooter. Always available for any questions and willing to correct any deficiencies noted.

Overall, we were pleased to deal with the Penguin team, Dan, Guy, Jon, Amy, and Tim. A very courteous team dedicated to getting the job done right and when we ran into problems they were all willing to work with us and helped us resolve them. Thank you Guy for your oversight and responsiveness!

In terms of lessons learned, I would advise others the following:
-read your contract carefully before signing, as there may be items that you reviewed with your regional manager that are not exactly as agreed. For example, for us it was stair case finishing and electrical box requirements.
-After choosing finishes with the lovely Amy, make sure that these are accurate when included in your contract and when passed on to the PM to construct. The job moves quick and it is better to identify if anything is incorrect early.
-Communicate clearly with your PM and confirm how and what will be installed. For example, make sure framing details are well understood, same for pot light locations, paint and grout colours.
-Cleaning of work site can be improved. Request that shop vacuum is completed throughout construction - especially after electrical and sanding. Final cleaning was also sub-par.
-Keep communication in writing. It avoids any confusion, keeps a record, and allows Penguin to provide you with appropriate responses.

I would highly recommend Penguin basement construction services. Good luck!